Car-seat.



C. L. THOMPSON.

CAR SEAT.

APPLICATION FILED MARI31. 1915.-

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

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' c. L. T HOMPSON.

CAR SEAT- APPLICATION FILED MAR- 31.1915- Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

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C. L. THOMPSON.

CAR SEAT. APPLICAIION FILED MAR. 31. I915.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916." 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 ,INVENTOR By Q u ATTORNEYS parts CLARENCE L. THOMPSON, OF PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Fatwa ted Sept 5, 1g;

Application filed March 31., 1915. Serial No. 18,224.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE L. THOMP- SON, a citizen of the United. States, and resident of Port Washington, county of Queens, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Seats, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a car seat of the swinging back type, and to simplify and improve the construction thereof.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide means for supporting the back of the seat in its forward and rearward positions, whereby the strains brought upon the back will be directly transmitted to the supporting frame. 7

Another object of the invention is to pro I vide a car seat having a rocking back ofthe parallel lever type of reversing mechanism, with means for relieving the said levers of the strains brought on the back.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simplified and improved means for supporting the cushion on rocker arms adapted to be simultaneously operated to brin the cushion to the proper position as the ack is swung from one position to another.

Another object of the invention is to provide simplified means for swinging the foot rest siii'nultaneously with the operation of swinging the back.

Another object of the invention is to provide a car seat construction wherein the various parts will be connected together so that they may be readily dismantled, thus facilitating the repairing and of the seat.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the car seat, the back support being broken away and the cushion of the seat being shown in dotted lines only; Fig. 2 a similar view showing the back in its midway position to permit of the 'removal of the cushion; Fig. 3 a central vertical sectional view on the line III-I1I of Fig. 2; Fig. '4 a vertical sectional view on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1; Fig. '5 a detail view showing the method ofattaching the connecting rails to the end plates of the frame of the seat; Figs. 6 and 7 detail views of the crank arm which moves the cushion rocker arms when the back is moved from one position to another; Fig. 8 a detail perspective reassembling of the view of the cushion rocker arms and the means for locking said arms to the cushion; Fig. 9 a detail view showing the means for attaching the connecting rails-to the top of the pedestal; Fig. 10 a detail view partly in section of a portion of one of the back supporting bars and the connected back standard; Fig. 11 a side elevation partly in section of the parts'shown in Fig. 10; Fig. 12 adetail view of the lower end of the back supporting bar; Fig. 13 a side elevation of the'parts shown in Fig. 12; and Fig. 14 a detail view of the outer side of the lower end of the back standard.

Referring to the various parts by numerals', 1 designates the pedestal which supports the car seat at the aisle end thereof, the other end of the seat being supported on the side of the car body in the usual manner. The connecting rails 2 are mounted in the upper ends of the arms of thepedestal, the ends of said rails fitting in sockets 3 carried by the end plates 4 of theseat structure. These connecting rails are preferably cylindrical and tubular and are provided at their ends with pins which are adapted to fit and slide in bayonet slots 6 formed in the sockets 3, the sockets being secured to the plates 4. By this means the connecting rails are detachably secured in the sockets, and may be readily removed therefrom. The pedestal arms are provided with looking screws 8 which contact with the connecting rails at a point above their horizontal centers, whereby said connecting rails are locked in the sockets in the tops of the pedestal arms, as shown clearly in Fig. 9. By releasing the locking screws 8 said rails may be turned and then detached from the sockets 3.

Rotatably mounted in the end plates 4 is the operating rod 9 the ends of said rod fitting in sockets secured to the inner sides of the plates 4. Mounted on the operating rod near the ends thereof are back-supporting bars 11, said bars having the circular enlargement 12 at their upper ends, said enlargement being formed with the outwardly extending circular flange 13, said flange extending around the said circular enlargement and terminating at the side edges of the A I the center of the opin a plane passing horizontally through the center of the operating rod. The upper ends of these parallel levers are mounted on studs 15 secured to the lower end of the back ntani'lard 1 1. This standardispivotally secured to the hack-supporting bar 11, on pivot 19 in the center of the enlargement 12 of said bar. The back standard 16 is formed with a circular flange 17 which fits within the flange 13 of bar 11. the flange 1'? extending partially around the enlarged circular end 18 of the standard 16, whereby as the back is rocked in its swinging movement from one position to the other the flange 17 will always be in contact with the flange 13 and will not extend across the space between the lower ends of the said flange 13. The studs 1'? are located equal distances from the center of the pivot 19 and are a slightly greater distance apart than the pivots at the lower ends of the arms 1-l. The levers 14- are bent outwardlv at their ends, the main hodies of them lying close together and slightly (Wei-lapping during the movements of the back. These parallel levers maintain the hack s andard 16 in proper position dur ing its swinging movement from one side of the seat to the other. The pivots 15 being a slightly' greater distance from the pivot of the back support than the pivot-s at the lower ends of the levers 1t are from the pivot of the bar 11. the hack standard will, be given a slight in elin ation when it is thrown to either of its positions. as shown clearlv in Fig. 1. The lnick-standard 16 near its lower end. and across the circular enlargement 18. is formed with an ontwardlv extending flange 20 which is adapted to come to rest on the slightly inclined flange 91 of the a diacent end plate. as shown clearlv in Figs. 1, 3 and 4 of the drawings. The inclination given to the back standard b v reason of the arrangementof the pivots 15 is sullieient to permit the flange 20 to seat squarely on the flange 21 and thereby perm it the hack standard 16 to incline upwardlv and rearwardlv the desired amount. It will be noted that when the flange 20 is at rest on the flange 91 the thrust of the ba ck will be transferred through the flange 17 to the flange 13 of the bar 11 so that the parallel levers it will be entirelv relieved of all strains placed upon the back when the seat is in use. the only strains brought on said levers being the strain of maintaining the back in its proper relation to the frame during its swinging and reversing movement. flanges 13 and 17 are terminated as described in order to permit the upper ends of the levers 14- to extend in between said flanges to the studs 15 and to properlv operate between the enlargements 12 and 18 as the back is swung from one position to another.

The flange 20 is perpendicular to the lon so. that when said flange Is at rest on the The ri l weight placed thereon. 1

gitudinal center line of the back-standard 16' flange 21 of the end frame the standard 16 inclines slightlv rea rwardlv, as shown clearly in Fig. 1.

Rigidly mounted on the operating rod 9 near the ends of the back-s1ipporting bars 11 are sleeves 22, each carrvin; at one end an upwardly extending crank arm 23 and at its other end radial wings 52 which fit slots in r the inner end of the bar 11. shown clearl v.in

Figs. 3 and 12. By reason of these wings the sleeve 22 and rigidly connected rod 9 move with the connected bar 11. The outer end of the crank arm is formed with a stud 25 which enters a vertical slot 26 in a cross link 27. The ends of this link are connected to the ends of depending crank arms 28 carried by sleeves 29 mounted to rotate on the connecting rails Extending upwardly from these sleeves Q are cushionrocker arms 30. These arms are formed with cylindrical heads 31 which carry upwardly extending lugs 32. These lugs carrv laterallv extending fingers 3-33, shown clearly in Fig. 8.

On the bottom of the cushion 34: are secured metal strips 3:) which are bent to form curved seats 36. said seats receiving the cylindrical heads 31 of the arms 30. The seats 36 are slotted at 37 to receive the lug 32; and at 88 to permit of the passage of the laterallv extending finger 33. When the back standard 16 is in a vertical position midway between its forward and rearward positions the CUShiOII-POCkGT arms extend inwardly and upwardly as shown in Fig. 2-. and the lateral fingers are in register with the slots 38 so that the cushion with the strips may be disengaged from the cushion-rocker arms. When the back standard 16 is moved to one side or the other of its central position the finger is carried out of register with the slot 38 and the cushion is thereby locked to the rocker arms and cannot be detached therefrom until the back is again ln'ought to its central position. This is of great advantage for the reason that it prevents the accidental displacement of the cushion.

The crank arms 28 and the cushion-rocker arms 30 are so disposed that when the back standard is at rest on either flange 21 that arm which is supporting the front portion of the cushion will he in a directly vertical position so that the strain of supporting the cushion will be delivered directlv through said arm to the front connecting rail. The rocker arm directly beneath the hack will be thrown down to such a position as to permit the rear portion of the seat to come to rest on the rear connecting rail so that said cushion-rocker arm will. be relieved of the strain of supporting the cushion and the This is shown clearly in Fig. 1. It will. of course, be understood that when the back is swung to the left and the flange 20 is brought to rest on lil) the flange 21 at the left-hand end of the end frame the positions of the cushion-rocker arms will be exactly the reverse of that shown in Fig. 1. This position of the cushion-rocker arms also gives the desired downward and rearward inclination of the cushion as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and,

of course, this position of the cushion will be reversed with the reversal of the other parts when the back is moved from the righthand end of the supporting frame to the lefthand end thereof, as viewed in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The connecting rails 2 are connected together near each of their ends by a rigid bar 39. To this bar, directly over the operating rod 9, is pivoted a swinging support 40 for the foot rest 41. The foot rest bar 41 extends from one supporting bar 40' at one end of the seat support to the other bar 40 at the opposite end of the support. The foot rest bar 40 is slotted at 42 for the passage of the operating rod 9. Secured to the operating rod adjacent each support 40 is a crank arm 43 formed with a stud 44 which enters and works in a longitudinally extending slot 45 which extends upwardly from the slot 42 at the center of the supporting bar. It is manifest that as the operating rod 9 is rotated by swinging the back from one side to the other of the seat the crank arm 43 will swing the foot rest supporting bars in the same direction as the movement of the back so that when the parts are at rest the foot rest is directly below the back, as shown in Fig. 1. The stud 44 of the crank arm 43 remains at all times in the slot 45 and acts as a lock to hold the foot rest arms in a fixed position when the back is at rest. prevents any movement of the foot rest by any strains brought directly upon it. It is manifest that the foot rest will remain stationary and can only be moved through the movement of the back.

It will, of course, be understood that while the operating parts are shown for only one end of the seat the said parts may be duplicated at the opposite end or equivalent mechanism may be used. It is thought to be unnecessary to duplicate the illustrations by showing the operating parts at both ends of the seat.

it will also be understood that tion is not limited to the exact construction described, but that it is as bread as is indicated by the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A car seat comprising a support, a back-supporting bar pivoted at its lower end in said support, a back standard pivoted to the upper end of the back-supporting bar, a pair of levers pivoted at their lower ends to the support on opposite sides of and equal distances from the pivot of the back-supmy invert- This details of H porting bar, the upper ends of said levers being pivoted to the back standard on opposite sides of and equal distances from the center of the pivot of said standard, a stop carried by the support near each longitudinal edge of the seat, a stop carried by the back standard and adapted to rest against the stop on the support when the back is in either of its positions, a circular bearing flange at the upper end of the back-supporting bar, a circular bearing flange at the lower end of the back standard and fitting within and bearing against the circular flange of the back-supporting bar, said flanges being concentric with the pivot between the back supporting bar and the back standard and inclosing the upper pivots of the said pair of levers.

2. In a carseat, the combination of a sup port, a back-supporting bar pivoted at its lower end thereto, and provided with a circular bearing flange at its upper end, a back standard having a circular bearing flange adjacent its lower end, one of said flanges fitting within the other, to form an interlocking pivotal. bearing, a back carried by said standard, adapted to have seating positions at the forward and rear edges of the seat, in which it is inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the seat, said support having supporting surfaces thereon adjacent the forward and rear edges thereof, means on said standard affording a bearing surface, adapted to come into supporting contact with one or the other of said supporting surfaces when the back is moved into one or the other of its seating positions, and means for causing the back to assume the desired inclination as it approaches each of its seating positions on being reversed, and for controlling the'inclination of the back during its movement of reversal; said circular bearing flanges being so arranged that pressure will be transmitted therethrough from the standard to said bar, when said back is in one of its seating positions, substantially as set forth.

3. In a car-seat, the combination of a support, a back-supporting bar pivoted at its lower end thereto, and provided with a circular bearing flange at its upper end, a back standard having a circular bearing flange adjacent its lower end, one of said flanges fitting within the other, to form an interlocking pivotal bearing, a back carried by said standard, adapted to have seating positions at the forward and rear edges of the seat, said support having stops thereon adjacent the forward and rear edges thereof, a stop on said standard, adapted to come into contact with one or the other of said support stops when the back is moved into one or the other of its seating positions, and means for causing the back to assume a desired angular position as it approaches each oi its seating positions on being reversed, and for controlling its angular position during its morement of reversal; said circular hearing flanges heing so arranged as to transmit downward thrust of said hack to said her, and also to transmit to said oar stress caused by the reaction of either or said support stops against the stop on the standard, suhstantially as set forth.

4. A car seat i omprising a support, an end plate carried therehy, a hzwk-supporting har pivoted at its lower end to said end plate and provided with a circular enlargement at its upper end, an outwardly extending hearing l'lange around said enlargement. a hack standard formed with a circular enlargement at its lower end and pivoted to the center of the enlargement of the laick-summrting bar, a circular hearing llange formed on the enlargement of the hack standard and fitting within the flange oi the llack-s1ippm'ting har, said flanges heiug ronrentric with the pivot between the hack supporting liar and the hack standard, a pair oi levers pivoted at their lower ends on each side oi and equal distances from the pivot oi the lrack-supporting bar, the upper ends of said levers heing pivoted to the hack standard on each side of and equal distances 'i'rom the center oi the pivot oi said stand ard, and within the circular hearing flanges downwardly and outwardly inclined flanges at each end oi the end plate, a flange carried hr the hack standard and adapted to rest on the inclined iiange at the end oi the end plate in either position oi the hack.

5. A car seat comprising supports, connert'ing rails mounted thereon and formed with cylindrical ends, end plates formed with sockets to receive the ends oi the conn ctlng rails and formed with hayonet slots, pins on the ends oi" the connecting rails adaiiited to enter said bayonet slots, means for locking the connecting rails against rotation, a cushion supported by the connect ing rails and a hack adapted to he supported hy the end plates.

(3. A car seat comprising a support, connecting rails mounted therein, cushion rocker arms rotatal'ily mounted on said rails and formed with upwardly extending cushion supporting arms and downwardly ex tending crank arms, a cross link operatively connecting together the said crank arms, the cushion supporting arms being so mounted that one at the forward edge of the seat is vertically orer the center of its connecting rail and the other at the rear is inclined to drop the rear 01 the seat on the rear con- -necting rail. a hack, means for movahly mounting said hack to permit it to he swung from one longitudinal edge of the seat to the other, means operatively connecting said hack supporting means to the cross link, whereby the cushion rocker arms Will he reversed in position when the hack is swung from one longitudinal edge oi. the seat to the other. i

7. r car seat comprising a support, connecting rails mounted therein, cushion rocker arms rotatably mounted on said rails and formed with upwardly extending cushion supporting arms and downwardly extending crank arms, a cross link operatively connecting together the said crank arms, the cuslnon supporting arms being so mounted that one at the forward edge of the seat is vertically over the center of its connecting rail and the other at the rear inclined to drop the rear of the seat on the rear connecting rail, :1 rotatahle operating rod, hack supporting bars connected. to said operating rod and adapted to rotate it as said hack supporting bars are swung from one edge of the seat to the other, a crank arm carried hy said operating rod and adapted to engage the cross link, wherehy as the hack supporting hairs are swung from one post tion to another the cross link will he moved hy the crank arm and the positions oi the cushion rocker arms will he reversed.

S. A car seat comprising connecting rails, rotatable cushion rocker arms mounted there on, a cushion, sockets carried by said cushion, means carried by the cushion rocker arms to interlock with said sockets, said sockets heing i'letachahle from the arms only when the cushion is in a horizontal position, a hack, a swinging support for said back, and means connecting said swinging support to the cushion rocker arms to reverse the position of said arms when the position of the hack is reversed, said means moving the cushion into horizontal position when the hack is vertical suhstantially midway hctween the longitudinal edges of the seat.

5). A car seat comprising connecting rails, rotatahle cushion-Hicker arms mounted thereon, a cushion, sockets carried by said cushion, means carried by the cushionrockcr arms to interlock with said sockets, said sockets heing detachahle from the arms only when the cushion is in a horizontal position, a hack, a swinging support for said back, and means connecting said swinging su 'ipm't to the cushion-rocker arms to reverse the position oi? said arms when the po' sition oi the back is reversed.

10. A car seat comprising a support, connecting rails mounted therein, cushion rocker arms rotatably mounted on said rails and formed with upwardly extending cushion supporting arms and downwardly extending crank arms, a cross link open atively connecting together the said crank arms, the cushion supporting arms being so mounted that one at the forward edge of the seat is vertically orer the center of its connecting rail and the other at the rear is inclined to drop the rear of the seat on the rear connecting rail, a cushion, sockets carried by said cushion, means carried by the cushion supporting arms to interlock the said sockets, said sockets being detachable from the arms only when the cushion is in a horizontal position, a back, means for movably mounting said back to permit it to be swung from one longitudinal edge of the seat to the other, and means operatively connecting said back supporting means to the cross link, said means bringing the cushion to a horizontal position when the back is midway between the longitudinal edges of the seat. 7

11. A car seat comprising a support, an operating rod, a back supporting bar rigidly mounted on said operating rod, a back supported by said bar and adapted to be swung from one longitudinal edge of the seat to the other, a depending foot-rest-carrying bar pivoted in the support directly above the operating rod and extending below the said rod, said bar being formed with a segmental slot to receive the operating rod, an upwardly extending crank arm connected to the operating rod, and a pin on said crank engaging a vertical slot in the foot-restcarrying bar and between the pivot of said bar and the operating rod, whereby the foot-rest-carrying bar will be swung together with the back supporting bar to maintain the foot-rest directly below the back.

12. A car seat comprising supports, connecting rails, end plates formed with sockets to receive the ends of the connecting rails and formed with bayonet slots, pins on the ends of the connecting rails adapted to enter said slots, means carried by the supports and engaging the connecting rails to lock said rails against rotation, an operating rod extending between the end plates, sockets on the end plates to receive the ends of said operating rod, back-supporting bars connected to the operating rod and adapted to rotate it, and a cushion supported by the connecting rails, whereby the bayonet-slotand-pin connection between the end plates and the connecting rails serves as means for properly spacing the end plates to receive the operating rod.

13. A car seat comprising supports, connecting rails, end plates, means for securing said plates to the connecting rails, an operating rod, sockets on the end plates to receive the ends of said rod, a sleeve rigidly connected to the operating rod near one end thereof and formed with an upwardly extending crank arm at one end, and with radial locking wings at the other end thereof, cushion-supporting rocker arms mounted on the connecting rails, a cross link connecting said rocker arms together, means connecting said cross link to the end of the said crank arm, a cushion supported by the said rocker arms, a back-supporting bar mounted on the operating rod and formed with slots to receive the radial arms of the said sleeve to lock said back-supporting bar to the operating rod, and a back carried by said back-supporting bar.

14:. In a, car-seat, the combination of a support having longitudinally projecting portions, cushion rocker arms rotatably mounted on said support, a cushion frame having; means for a pivotal bearing connection with the upper ends of said arms, a back, supporting means therefor adapted to permit the back to be swung from one longitudinal edge of the seat to the other, means connecting said backsupporting means to said rocker-arms whereby the latter-will be oscillated when the back is reversed, said rocker-arms being so mounted and connected to said back-supporting means that one at the forward edge of the seat stands vertically over its bearing on said support and the other at the rear extends at such an angle as to cause the rear of the cushion-frame to rest directly on one of said longitudinally projecting support portions, in each extreme position of the back, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

CLARENCE L. THOMPSON.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

